The Longevity Project

Drs. Howard Friedman and Leslie Martin studied 1,500 people at Stanford University to find out who lives the longest and why. Their book documents the findings of this study, discusses the character traits they found associated with long life, and addresses some of the common myths about longevity. We've been told that to live long we should obsess over what we eat, how much we stress, and how fast we run. But based on the most extensive study of longevity ever conducted, eating your vegetables, exercising, and relaxation -- though important -- are not the critical components to long life. Here, Drs. Friedman and Martin bust many a myth. People do not die from working long hours at a challenging job. Getting and staying married is not the magic ticket to long life, especially if you're a woman. It's not the happy-go-lucky people who thrive.